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Two polls out today underscore the content and effect of yesterday’s SOTU. CBS notes 83% approval of the speech, and an increase from 57% to 70% in the category “shares your priorities”, notable because while it’s partisans that tend to watch SOTU speeches, it was Democratic partisans that have been sitting on their hands in recent state elections. Meanwhile, Democracy Corps notes that a Republican-leaning focus group audience had a 50 point improvement in thinking that Obama puts the middle class before Wall Street, exactly the area that needed work. This was a substantive and issues-oriented address to the nation, and an excellent job in getting the American ship righted, and the public saw it as such.

Of course, it’s a speech and only a speech. Next comes the hard work, and there’s plenty of that to be done. But Republicans who think the public will be happy with “just say no” while they sit on their hands with nothing to offer are going to have a rude awakening. In the meantime, independents saw their priorities shared, and Democrats saw their President lead. That’s exactly what needed to happen.

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